YouTube's mission is to give everyone a voice and show them the world. To ensure that our platform reflects our values, we have a number of initiatives that amplify the voices of various groups and promote inclusivity. Central to YouTube's mission is helping creators be discovered, build a business and succeed on our platform, and this is why NextUp exists.
We are back with our 4th edition in India! We are now bigger than ever before.
Looking at the amazing response from our creator and artist community, we are bringing three new editions this year -- NextUp for Artists, NextUp Women To Watch and NextUp for Gamers.
In the previous editions, YouTube helped discover talent from across the country -- be it your favorite Marathi entertainers, sports enthusiasts or your own gardening buddy, and has successfully contributed to the success of over 50 Indian creators. We have been supporting and inspiring the creator and artist community from across the country, with language, genre, and gender being no bar.
So who's NextUp? And whats special in 2019?
We're looking for passionate and motivated YouTube creators and artists who are ready to create more compelling stories with better production skills; those who are seeking mentorship from production and channel development experts, and eager participants looking for an opportunity to collaborate with talented creators and be a part of the global NextUp community. The 3 contests launching this June are as follows:
NextUp for Artists [Open and Accepting Entries]: Whether you are passionate about creating music videos to accompany your original songs, or are committed to showing your fans the "behind the scenes" moments of your career as a musician, YouTube is committed to supporting you at every step of your artist journey. In our endeavour to hone the next generation of artists, we will be bringing YouTube NextUp for Artists to Mumbai in August this year!
NextUp Women To Watch [Stay Tuned, Contest Opening soon]: Join us for our first-ever Women to Watch edition of NextUp in India, to enable and empower female creators and their audience. Are you like Larissa D'sa (Class of 2017), who started out as a beauty creator and has branched out to travel & lifestyle? Or maybe you love making people laugh, like Wonder Munna (Class of 2018) does, in her Bengali comedy sketches. We want to hear your unique voice and share your story with the world to inspire the next generation of women on YouTube. NextUp Women To Watch coming soon to Delhi!
NextUp for Gamers [Stay Tuned, Contest Opening soon]: Have you been scoring those Chicken Dinners or finding those hidden drop locations like Gattu? Or making your viewers cheer and laugh while you stream like Dynamo Gaming? If yes, the exclusive YouTube NextUp for Gamers is here to support your Gaming journey on YouTube! For its very first iteration in India, NextUp for Gamers will be hosted in Chennai.
*We welcome entries from all over India for all contests.
Want more reasons to Apply? Hear directly from our Alumni
"Meeting my fellow NextUp creators for the first time I felt that I have a sense of belonging. We're all going through the same process" - Tanya Khanijow, NextUp Winner 2018
"NextUp taught me how to collaborate with other creators, learn from their creative process and how they approach their YouTube channel" - Sejal Kumar, NextUp Winner 2016
"I always wanted to achieve good video production skills. NextUp taught me a lot of other things such as, story-telling, cinematography and light setup" - Rishhsome, NextUp Winner 2017
Excited? So are we! So here's how you can apply:
- Visit the NextUp website at youtube.com/nextup to check Eligibility Requirements and Contest Rules, for each of these contests.
- If you meet the criteria, go ahead and apply!
*Please note: NextUp for Artists is open and accepting entries, while NextUp Women to Watch & NextUp for Gamers will be live very soon, keep a check on YouTube.com/nextup for updates.
We can't wait to see what you come up with!
Posted by Marc Lefkowitz, Head of YouTube Creator and Artist Development, APAC